Local Hurricane Relief Efforts

Salvation Army The Salvation Army has mounted a national effort to assist victims and responders along the gulf coast. More than 38 Mobile Feeding Units, capable of serving 5,000 meals per day, and two fully-equipped mobile kitchens capable of serving 20,000 meals per day will be dispatched to clean-up sites, emergency shelters and flooded re-gions. To donate by phone, call 1-800-SAL-ARMY; on-line at www.salvationarmyusa.org or send a check, earmarked ‘disaster re-lief' to The Salvation Army, P.O. Box 3170, Union, NJ, 07083. Mountain Creek The resort will provide direct financial support to the American Red Cross' Disaster Relief Fund with a 100 percent employee matching gift program. In addition the resort is offering a free 2005-2006 lift ticket to anyone who donates $25 or more through the resort by Friday, Sept. 16. The public is asked to bring checks, payable to the Red Cross Disaster Relief Effort, to the ski resort's Human Resources office. Checks can also be mailed to Shannon McSweeney, Mountain Creek, 200 Route 94, Vernon, NJ 07462, and the free lift ticket vouchers will be sent via return mail. UNICO UNICO National, the largest Italian-American service organization in the U.S., has announced the initiation of a Hurricane Katrina Relief Fund. Send donations payable to "UNICO National, Inc., earmarked Disaster Relief Fund" to UNICO National at 271 U.S. Highway 46 West, Suite A-108, Fairfield, NJ 07004. For more information, contact Executive Administrator Barbara Peirano at 1-800-877-1492. Lafayette Village The Champagne Girls, a non-profit organization of entertainers will hold the "Motion with a Mission" Charity Benefit at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, Sept. 11, at Lafayette Village Hall to benefit the International Rescue Committee. There will also be a prayer workshop at 1:30 p.m. consisting of freestyle dance, meditation and movement taught by Sherri Van Houten. An ordained minister, Van Houten is also the author of "Belly Dance: Motion on the Ocean of Spirituality." For more information call Van Houten at 201-247-0897 or visit http://pages.prodigy.net/evanhouten/ChampagneGirls.html. Sussex County Red Cross Local chapters of the Red Cross nationwide have mobilized to come to the aid of the countless surviving victims of Hurricane Katrina, which struck the Gulf Coast region early last week with devastating winds and rains. Anyone wishing to contribute money or volunteer service should call either (973) 579-1600 or visit the county chapter's website at www.sussexredcross.org.